Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Summer Break!

School is ending and summer is FINALLY HERE!!!



We have found some great resources to make the most of summer break. These resources are FUN things to do as a family this summer with purpose!

1. First and Foremost....Take time to rest! You and your kids deserve it after a long school year. 

2. Thriving family puts out a FREE activity calendar every summer (remember last year's around the world calendar - click here). This year, they have a detective kit where you decipher clues, crack codes, participate in fun family activities and solve 21 "Who am I?" Bible mysteries. Click here to download. SO EXCITING!! (that link also has previous years calendars if you are looking for something else!!)

3. Remember to sign up for  B&N Reading Journal Program or PBK Reading Challenge! Have your child read through the Jesus Story Book or other books that help your child learn who Jesus is! Bring in the journals to the appropriate store to receive a free book!

4. Make a purposeful summer bucket list....we have one on our blog but also check out Compassion International's Make Summer Count List or Missional Women's 25 Summer Missional Activities for kids. Remember to have the kids journal their activities!

5. Feel free to comment to share any other ideas you have for purposeful summer pointing our kids towards Jesus!

Saturday, March 1, 2014

St. Patrick's Day at Home

St. Patrick's Day is coming up on March 17th!

I have heard that the true story of St. Patrick is actually one of a great inspiring Christian man. I wanted to learn about St. Patrick so where else would I turn to as a reliable source than to Veggie Tales. Check out this 8 minute super cute video of the story of St. Patrick. 


Didn't I tell you it was super cute. Now on to some fun St. Patrick's activities that keep the focus on God. 

#1 First set the stage. Dress up in all green and talk in your best Irish accent. Top of the mornin' to ya!

#2 Start your morning with a healthy green smoothie for breakfast (1 banana, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1/2 cup of spinach, 1 cup water - blend well) or you could go a little less healthy with these green mint chocolate chip pancakes.

#3 Compare and contrast Noah's rainbow vs the Leprechaun's rainbow. Although St. Patrick was a man of faith who became a missionary in the very place he was sold as a slave, Irish folktale tells a very different tale of a silly leprechaun. The tale states if you catch a leprechaun, he will tell you where the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is. Their rainbow leads to a pot of gold. Our rainbow found in the Bible is a rainbow that leads to God....a rainbow of promise not luck. A promise that God will always protects us and be there for us.

There are thousands of rainbow crafts or recipes you can do if you search on-line but the one that we did was print a rainbow template and fill it with the rainbow colors of froot loops.


Then we got out pipe cleaners and made candy or rather froot loop bracelets.


They loved eating their bracelets - I couldn't even get them to stop eating it to take a picture! Did you notice the subliminal message of Noah's Ark in the background....stay with me people :)


#4 If you have lucky charms at home - this is a cute activity (found at this link) to do with your kids. St. Patrick shared the Bible with as many people as he could in Ireland. Find the different marshmallows in lucky charms (lets be honest the marshmallows are the only part of lucky charms that the kids eat anyways) and talk about the different promises of God found in the Bible.

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#5 Compare the 4 leaf clover vs the 3 leaf clover. On St. Patrick's day you often hear about the lucky 4 leaf clover. However, St. Patrick used the 3 leaf clover to talk about the trinity. Just like the 3 leaves on the 1 clover leaf, there are 3 parts to the trinity - God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit but only ONE God. Again, I would take God over luck any day! Coloring sheet here.

#6 St. Patrick was known for his intense prayer life. Take time to pray to God as a family today!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

#1512Challenge

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February is such a fun month to focus on love because the resources are endless! I love decorating the house with scriptures on love and looking for ways to show God's love to my family. If you haven't signed up at the Welcome Center for our upcoming FAMILY ACT OF KINDNESS Challenge, then please do on Sunday. You will receive a text every morning with a Family Challenge for you to accept and then document it with a picture and post it on our FM Facebook page with #1512Challenge (This comes from our scripture focus for February from John 15:12 "My command is this: Love on another as I have loved you.")

There are also a lot of other fun resources that you can do on your own at home... here are a few of my favorites.....

1.]  14-days of God's love: A Valentine's Day countdown for kids with scripture about God's love. (ours is pictured above) You can print these off and hide one every morning for the kids to find and look up.

2.] Here are some fun printables for your house:Greatest of these is LOVE, 1 Corinthians 13, and Everlasting Love.